Kinetic Energy Of Fluid Research Articles

Constructing High-Performance and Versatile Liquid-Solid Triboelectric Nanogenerator with Inflatable Columnar Units

Abstract The use of water resources for energy generation has become increasingly prevalent, encompassing the conversion of kinetic energy from streams, tides, and waves into renewable electrical power. Water energy sources offer numerous benefits, including widespread availability, stability, and the absence of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions, making them a clean and environmentally friendly form of energy. In this work, we develop a droplet-based liquid-solid triboelectric nanogenerator (LS-TENG) using sophisticatedly designed inflatable columnar structures with inner and outer dual-electrode. This device can be utilized to harvest both the internal droplet-rolling mechanical energy and the external droplet-falling mechanical energy, capable of assembling into various structures for versatile applications. The design incorporates a combined structure of both internal and external TENG to optimize output performance via multiple energy harvesting strategies. The internal structure features a dual-electrode columnar-shaped LS-TENG, designed to harvest fluid kinetic energy from water droplet flowing. By leveraging the back-and-forth motion of a small amount of water within the air column, mechanical energy can be collected, achieving a maximum mass power density of 9.02 W/Kg and an energy conversion efficiency of 10.358%. The external component is a droplet-based LS-TENG, which utilizes a double-layer capacitor switch effect elucidated with an equivalent circuit model. Remarkably, without the need for pre-charging, a single droplet can generate over 140 V of high voltage, achieving a maximum power density of 7.35 W·m² and an energy conversion efficiency of 22.058%. The combined LS-TENG with sophisticated inflatable columnar structure can simultaneously collect multiple types of energy in high efficacy, exhibiting great significance in potential applications such as TENG aeration rings, inflatable lifejacket, wind energy harvesting, gas-column TENG tents, and green houses.

CFD simulations of MHD effects on mixed convectional flow in a lid-driven square cavity with square cylinder using Casson fluid

Enclosure design significantly impacts thermal engineering processes and devices, including electronic devices, thermal exchangers, power engines, heating systems, solar panels, and nuclear power plants. The square cavity with variable aspect ratios is utilized for multi-objective optimization and improved thermal performance of microchannels. Cold cylinders in square enclosures are often utilized to reduce energy loss in micro heat sinks and heat exchangers. So, article’s main objective is to investigate concurrent characteristics of external and internal forces on a Casson fluid contained in a square cavity with magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). A square cylinder is embedded in the middle of the enclosure, and an inclined magnetic field with angle φ is applied. The upper lid is assumed to be inertially driven by a constant amount of slipping velocity, and a thermal state is disturbed by assuming uniform temperature at the left wall while the right wall and embedded cylinder are cool. The finite element method (FEM) based open-source software renowned as COMSOL Multiphysics is utilized to solve the non-dimensionalized momentum and energy equations. This study uses the square enclosure to study essential factors, such as the Casson parameter β , Hartmann number Ha , Reynolds number Re , and Grashof number Gr . The findings reveal that the kinetic energy at β = 10 is 12.22 times greater than that of β = 0.1 at Ha = 0 . It is observed that Ha , β , and Gr have a direct impact on the local Nusselt number. Fluid kinetic energy increases as Gr increases while it decreases as Re increases. This study shows how obstacles of various shapes and temperature conditions have an essential impact on handling heat transfer characteristics.

Non-similar analysis of bioconvection MHD micropolar nanofluid on a stretching sheet with the influences of Soret and Dufour effects

In this study, we investigate the capabilities of magnetohydrodynamic bioconvective micropolar nanofluids, considering the impact of Soret and Dufour effects using a non-similarity analysis. Our objective is to forecast the complex heat and mass transfer phenomena observed in both biological and industrial systems. In recent years, notable progress in energy applications has spurred our inquiry and exploration. To augment thermal conductivity and explore potential biocompatibility, we utilize blood as the base fluid, incorporating silver Ag\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\left({\ ext{Ag}}\\right)$$\\end{document} and copper oxide (CuO)\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$({\ ext{CuO}})$$\\end{document}. This distinctive configuration offers improved control over thermal properties and supports the exploration of advanced applications across various domains. In our analysis, we also consider factors such as viscous dissipation, the influences of Soret and Dufour effects, the existence of a magnetic field, and the occurrence of heat generation. The governing PDEs and their corresponding boundary conditions are transformed into dimensionless form through the use of suitable non-similar transformations. The outcomes generated by the modified model are obtained through the application of a local non-similarity approach, extended up to the second degree of truncation, and integrated with a finite difference code (bvp4c). Furthermore, the effects of different factors on fluid flow, micro-rotation, heat transfer, volume fraction, and microorganism properties in the analyzed flow scenarios are demonstrated and examined through visual representations, following the attainment of satisfactory agreement between the obtained results and those reported in prior studies. The tables are designed to present numerical variations for the drag coefficient and Nusselt number. A comparative analysis is conducted on previously published work, despite certain limitations, in order to evaluate the accuracy of the numerical scheme. It can be shown that the material parameter K\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$K$$\\end{document} has two effects on micropolar fluid dynamics: it increases the micro-rotation profile, which leads to higher fluid stiffness, and it reduces the velocity profile in response to an angled magnetic field. Furthermore, in bio-convective micropolar fluid, greater K\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$K$$\\end{document} values are correlated with an elevated temperature profile, showing enhanced heat transfer efficiency via increased fluid speed and kinetic energy production. The velocity profiles in bioconvective micropolar fluids rise with higher magnetic field values (M)\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$(M)$$\\end{document}, highlighting the significance of magnetic field orientations for a thorough comprehension of the behavior of fluids in these systems. Increasing the Dufour effect (Du)\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$({\ ext{Du}})$$\\end{document} raises the temperature profile, whereas increasing the Soret effect (Sr)\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$({\ ext{Sr}})$$\\end{document} lowers the concentration profile. Furthermore, increasing the bio-convective Lewis numbers (Le)\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$({\ ext{Le}})$$\\end{document} results in larger concentrations of moving microorganisms, but increasing the Peclet number (Pe)\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$({\ ext{Pe}})$$\\end{document} results in a drop in microbe concentrations. The main focus of our study is to devise unique transformations customized to address the intricacies of the specific problem under investigation. These transformations aim to produce precise and efficient outcomes, offering valuable insights for future research in the realm of nanofluid flows, particularly concerning pressure ulcer problems.

Dissipative processes at the acoustic horizon

A transonic fluid flow generates an acoustic hole that is the hydrodynamic analogue of a gravitational black hole (BH). Acoustic holes emit a detectable thermal radiation of phonons at a characteristic Hawking temperature. The crucial concept is that the spontaneous phonon emission at the horizon produces an irreversible heat increase at the expenses of the bulk fluid kinetic energy. We show that such process can be described in terms of effective shear and bulk viscosities that are defined close to the horizon. We analyze this quantum friction process by resorting to a general kinetic theory approach as well as by the specific description of phonon emission as a tunneling process. The celebrated Kovtun, Son and Starinets (KSS) universal lower bound η/s=1/4π of the shear viscosity coefficient to entropy density ratio, readily follows, and is extended to the longitudinal bulk viscosity at the horizon. We come to the same saturation of the KSS bound after considering the shear viscosity arising from a perturbation of the background metric at the acoustic horizon providing a—in principle testable—realization of the so called BH membrane paradigm.

Sloshing mitigation in microgravity with moving baffles

We numerically investigate the effect on sloshing in microgravity of systems with passive, moving baffles whose motion is restricted by linear springs. The liquid is assumed to have physical properties similar to those of 5cSt silicone oil while the baffle is made of aluminium. Two kinds of numerical models are developed depending on whether the allowed baffle motion is translational or rotational. Simulations show that moving baffles significantly improve sloshing mitigation compared to fixed baffles, with decreases of up to 48% in the decay time and 23% in the fluid kinetic energy following excitation by a certain pulse-like acceleration. In all configurations considered, there exists an optimal spring stiffness that minimises the kinetic energy or decay time. Frequency analysis reveals two peaks in the range of 0.1–2Hz whose amplitudes vary as a function of spring stiffness, analogous to the behaviour of Tuned Mass Dampers (TMDs). The effectiveness of the moving baffle system is then assessed using a real microgravity perturbation measured during a reboosting manoeuvre of the International Space Station (ISS) and a significant reduction in decay time relative to the fixed baffle case is found: to 1.3s from 4s.

Research on the Mechanism of Flow-Induced Vibration in the Cooling System of a Double Crystal Monochromator

To investigate the mechanism of flow-induced vibrations in the cooling system of a double crystal monochromator (DCM), this paper utilizes a multi-physics numerical simulation approach, employing ANSYS and FLUENT platforms to simulate the flow state of liquid nitrogen in the cooling system and explore the amplitude response of the DCM. Initially, simulations were conducted to examine the flow state of liquid nitrogen with varying frequency and amplitude pulsations. Subsequently, modal analysis was employed to investigate the amplitude response of the DCM in the pitch direction vibrations under pulsating excitation. Finally, this research investigated the influence of high heat load-induced liquid nitrogen boiling on a DCM. The results indicate that pipe resistance is the fundamental cause of vibration induced by pulsating excitation. Low-frequency excitation enhances the amplification factor of DCM vibration. In contrast, due to the rapid conversion of fluid kinetic energy to pressure potential energy, high-frequency excitation increases the pulsation amplitude in the pipe. Additionally, there is a linear relationship between the amplitude of liquid nitrogen velocity fluctuations and the response amplitude of a DCM. The slug flow formed after liquid nitrogen boiling generates low-frequency pulse signals, and intermittent fluid impacts cause significant vibrations in the DCM. These research findings provide a reference for the analysis and design of ultra-high-stability DCM cooling systems.

An Amphibious Fully-Soft Centimeter-Scale Miniature Crawling Robot Powered by Electrohydraulic Fluid Kinetic Energy.

Miniature locomotion robots with the ability to navigate confined environments show great promise for a wide range of tasks, including search and rescue operations. Soft miniature locomotion robots, as a burgeoning field, have attracted significant research interest due to their exceptional terrain adaptability and safety features. Here, a fully-soft centimeter-scale miniature crawling robot directly powered by fluid kinetic energy generated by an electrohydraulic actuator is introduced. Through optimization of the operating voltage and design parameters, the average crawling velocity of the robot is dramatically enhanced, reaching 16mm s-1. The optimized robot weighs 6.3g and measures 5cm in length, 5cm in width, and 6mm in height. By combining two robots in parallel, the robot can achieve a turning rate of ≈3° s-1. Additionally, by reconfiguring the distribution of electrodes in the electrohydraulic actuator, the robot can achieve 2 degrees-of-freedom translational motion, improving its maneuverability in narrow spaces. Finally, the use of a soft water-proof skin is demonstrated for underwater locomotion and actuation. In comparison with other soft miniature crawling robots, this robot with full softness can achieve relatively high crawling velocity as well as increased robustness and recovery.

Investigation on unstable flow characteristics and energy dissipation in Pelton turbine

The internal flow scale of a Pelton turbine is variable, and the interaction between the jet and the bucket has strong transient characteristics, resulting in an incomplete understanding of its internal vortex structure evolution and energy dissipation mechanisms. In order to reveal the influence of vortices on the flow regime and energy dissipation mechanisms in the turbine, this paper establishes the correlation between the unsteady flow characteristics and energy dissipation inside the Pelton turbine based on the energy balance equation and quantifies the energy losses inside the turbine. The results indicate that vortex structures present a non-uniform distribution inside the jet, which disrupts the uniformity of the jet velocity distribution, resulting in an uneven distribution of high-vorticity zones on the bucket surfaces and intensifying flow interference among the buckets. The strong shear flow caused by the downstream flow detachment of the needle guide, the turbulent boundary layer on the jet surface, and the wake effect downstream of the needle tip are the main reasons for the dissipation of fluid kinetic energy. The distribution range of energy loss on the rotating bucket closely corresponds to the position of the high-vorticity zone. Energy dissipation inside the turbine is primarily in the form of turbulent kinetic energy, and the injectors and runner are the primary energy dissipation components. Moreover, inside the injectors, each form of energy loss remains relatively constant, whereas inside the runner, its rotation induces fluctuating energy losses attributed to Reynolds stress work. The results contribute to an enhanced understanding of the energy dissipation characteristics and complex flow mechanisms within the turbine, providing reference for the optimisation and efficient operation of the multi-nozzle Pelton turbine.

The effect of the check dam on the sediment transport and control in debris flow events

The implementation of check dams serves as a crucial measure in mitigating debris flow events, effectively stabilizing sediments and diminishing the magnitude of such occurrences. However, less attention has been paid to the fact that intact check dams also promote the release of sediment downstream, and the sediment control mechanism of the check dam during debris flow has not been clearly elucidated. In this study, according to the field survey data of the typical check dam and its surrounding sediment in Chutou Gully, several numerical flume models are built to explore the variation of the fluid kinetic energy and sediment alteration under the different channel gradients and different check dam setting patterns. An improved evaluation index for sediment transport of the check dam, DEItotal, is put forward to evaluate the sediment control efficiency of the established flume models. The results show the influence range of the check dam can be generally divided into positive and negative regions. The positive regions effectively intercept sediment, while the negative regions enhance the fluid erosion on sediment and promote the release of sediment. Both the positive and negative regions of the check dam are affected by the channel gradient and dam height. In addition, with the increase in sediment diameter, the resistance of sediment to fluid erosion is significantly improved.

Theoretical study on the pressure expansion mechanism of diffused self-pumping hydrodynamic mechanical seal

The pressure expansion performance is the key and basis for the diffused self-pumping hydrodynamic mechanical seal to achieve its good cooling performance, self-cleaning performance, and sealing performance. Using the moment of momentum theorem and Stodola's formula, the pressurization effect of the spiral groove on the fluid was analyzed, and the energy head equation of the work done by the spiral groove on the fluid is established. According to the principle of conservation of energy, the energy equation and Bernoulli equation of the work done by the spiral groove on the fluid are derived, the mathematical expression of the conversion of fluid kinetic energy into hydrostatic pressure in the diffuser groove was established, the energy change and energy distribution problems of the fluid after the work of the spiral groove are clarified, and the pressure expansion mechanism is revealed. Through numerical simulation, the relationship between the fluid pressure at the sealing interface, the position and size of the high-pressure field, the opening force, and the leakage rate under different rotational speeds and the structural parameters of the diffuser groove were explored. Finally, the pressure expansion performance of the ordinary self-pumping hydrodynamic mechanical seal and diffused self-pumping hydrodynamic mechanical seal is compared. The results show that the diffuser groove can effectively convert part of the fluid kinetic energy into pressure energy, improve the opening force of the sealing interface, and have a good pressurization effect on the sealing end face. With the widening of the diffuser groove, the pressure peak of the sealing interface increases, the high-pressure field area continues to expand and tends to expand toward the outer diameter of the seal ring, and the opening force also increases significantly; increasing the depth of the diffuser groove will cause the pressure peak of the sealing interface to become smaller, and the area of the high-pressure field will also decrease rapidly, which is not conducive to improving the opening force of the sealing end face.

Study on suppression of violent sloshing in a multiple tuned liquid column damper by porous media layers

Multiple tuned liquid multi-column damper (MTLCD) is a passive damping device that is used to suppress the motion of semisubmersible floating offshore wind turbine (FOWT). However, the violent sloshing within the MTLCD under extreme sea environments reduces the anti-pitch motion effect. Thus, this study employed an innovative MTLCD with porous media layers, which can increase the flow energy dissipation, suppress the violent sloshing and enhance the damping moment (Mdamping). The OpenFOAM is used to simulate the hydrodynamic force in MTLCD, where the numerical method is validated by the decay test of a scaled model. The numerical natural period of the MTLCD shows good agreement with the experimental and analytical results. The sloshing characteristics, including pressure, damping moment impulse and work of the MTLCD without porous media, are analyzed firstly under simple harmonic rotation amplitudes (θ0) of 2°–20°. Subsequently, porous media layers are installed in the MTLCD with different heights (hp), including immersion and suspension, in order to improve the MTLCD's damping moment. Wavelet transform and wavelet-based bicoherence are utilized to analyze the nonlinear behaviors of the damping moment under violent sloshing. The breaking, surging and converging in the MTLCD are captured by the numerical method. The analyses show that the porous layers can suppress the violent sloshing by dissipating the fluid kinetic energy, and the damping moment work can be significantly improved when θ0 >6°. The liquid surging with bubbles leads to the nonlinear behaviors in the MTLCD, the sloshing energy transfer to the frequency doubling by three-wave interaction.

Application of PIV for Virtual Mass Coefficient Measurement

The particle image velocimetry (PIV) technique is employed for the measurement of the virtual mass of a submerged object, an important parameter in the two-fluid model, particularly so for reactor thermal-hydraulic and safety analyses. Instead of carrying out the measurement through traditional transient processes that mix steady-state drag, virtual mass force, and Basset force, a new PIV approach is developed for steady-state flows through the integration of the fluid kinetic energy around the object. The Basset force, an inseparable transient force in viscous flows, is eliminated in the new approach, making virtual mass quantification possible. This new method has been applied to the virtual mass measurement of a solid cylinder, and although the measurement uncertainty from the flow’s random fluctuations is substantial, the results are very encouraging. The results suggest that the existence of drag force in viscous flow affects the virtual mass, as the flow field is different from the ideal potential flow. When the measurement method was applied to the quantification of air bubbles, no reliable data were obtained due to complications from bubble lateral motions and deformation. Further study is needed for the PIV method to be employed for bubble virtual mass force measurements under steady-state flow conditions.

Direct Numerical Simulation of Bubble Cluster Collapse: Shape Evolution and Energy Transfer Mechanisms

This study employs the VOF method to conduct the direct numerical simulation of the collapse progress of the near-wall bubble cluster. Factors such as viscosity, compressibility, and surface tension are taken into account, with an emphasis on the flow field energy evolution. Firstly, the collapse of a cubic bubble cluster comprising 64 bubbles is simulated, validating previous research regarding the morphological evolution and energy release mechanisms during cluster collapse. Overall, the cubic bubble cluster collapse exhibits a layer-by-layer phenomenon, where the outer layer bubbles collapse first, converting a portion of bubble potential energy into fluid kinetic energy, which then contributes to the inner layer bubble collapse. The pressure wave energy is primarily released when the whole bubble cluster completely collapses. Secondly, we investigate the collapse process of columnar bubble clusters, which closely resemble realistic cloud cavitation. By comparing the collapse behavior of bubble clusters with different heights, we reveal the non-linear delay effect of the cluster height on the collapse time. Additionally, we consolidate our long-term research on the bubble cluster and conclude that both the scale and shape of the bubble clusters have a limited impact on the conversion rate η of bubble potential energy to pressure wave energy η. For instance, when the stand-off distance η=1.5 and the inter-bubble distance D=2.5, the conversion rate η remains consistently 9–15% for various bubble clusters of different scales and shapes.

Heat transfer enhancement in channels with roughened and elastic walls

In this research, a combination of passive and active heat transfer enhancements are used synergistically to assist in the increase of absorbed heat from a channel by roughened and fluctuating walls. To this end, the upper wall is artificially roughened and a fluctuating segment is added to the lower wall. Flow regime is considered to be laminar and Reynolds number is 1000 at the entrance of the channel. Combinations of various roughness geometries and fluctuations are studied. It was found that due the increase of the fluid kinetic energy and its interaction with roughened surface and elastic segment, heat transfer rate is amplified. To investigate the overall efficiency of the system, Nusselt number and friction factor are calculated and a maximum value of 37.5% increase in average Nusselt number of the midsection where elastic wall is placed has been reached by flexible plate displacement. A maximum Nusselt number increase of 167% has been observed when the elastic plate reaches its peak value.

Spectral response between particle and fluid kinetic energy in decaying homogeneous isotropic turbulence

In particle-laden turbulence, the Fourier Lagrangian spectrum of each phase is regularly computed, and analytically derived response functions relate the Lagrangian spectrum of the fluid and the particle phase. However, due to the periodic nature of the Fourier basis, the analysis is restricted to statistically stationary flows. In the present work, utilizing the bases of time-focalized proper orthogonal decomposition (POD), this analysis is extended to temporally non-stationary turbulence. Studying two-way coupled particle-laden decaying homogeneous isotropic turbulence for various Stokes numbers, it is demonstrated that the temporal POD modes extracted from the dispersed phase may be used for the expansion of both fluid and particle velocities. The POD Lagrangian spectrum of each phase may thus be computed from the same set of modal building blocks, allowing the evaluation of response functions in a POD frame of reference. Based on empirical evaluations, a model for response functions in non-stationary flows is proposed. The related energies of the two phases is well approximated by simple analytical expressions dependent on the particle Stokes number. It is found that the analytical expressions closely resemble those derived through the Fourier analysis of statistically stationary flows. These results suggest the existence of an inherent spectral symmetry underlying the dynamical systems consisting of particle-laden turbulence, a symmetry which spans across stationary/non-stationary particle-laden flow states.

Erosion in Helico-Axial Pumps

With recent advancements in the petroleum industry, the need for multiphase pumps to transport multiphase products, such as the product of oil, water, and natural gas, arises along with their challenges. A helico-axial multiphase pump should be capable of converting fluid kinetic energy into pressure by avoiding gas–liquid separation and the gas-locking phenomenon, enabling smooth pump operation at higher gas volume fractions. In this paper, erosion on a helico-axial pump is evaluated at different flow conditions using sand particles mixed with water. A very important practical finding of this investigation is that the erosion rate increased when the flow conditions deviated from the design point of 3600 RPM. Operating the pump in off-design conditions not only reduced its hydraulic efficiency but also increased the erosion rates and hence reduces its life. It was observed that at 4800 RPM, the pump efficiency decreased by 11% and the erosion rate increased by 80%. This increase in erosion rate was attributed to the formation of local vortices upstream of the blade leading edge affecting the particle flow path and increasing its impact on the blade surface.

Vibrational non-Boltzmann effects on the dissociation rate of oxygen.

Both the internal energy nonequilibrium and the NB effects of the vibrational state distribution influence the calculation of the dissociation rate coefficient. The state-to-state (STS) method gives the exact dissociation rate coefficients under the influence of two nonequilibrium effects, while the single group linear maximum-entropy (SGLM) model only considers the internal energy nonequilibrium effects. Therefore, the ratio ζ of the dissociation rate coefficient calculated by the STS method and the SGLM model is used in this paper to describe the NB effects on the dissociation rate coefficient. The zero-dimensional (0D) heating adiabatic thermochemical nonequilibrium process of oxygen was simulated by the STS method with a post-surge temperature of 7000-11 000 K. The variation regularity of the NB effects in the relaxation process were investigated using ζ, and it was found that the NB effects were mainly affected by temperature. And then the relaxation process after the normal shock with the same post-surge temperature of 7000-11 000 K was simulated. The NB effects in the two non-equilibrium processes were compared, and it was found that although there is a conversion between internal energy and fluid kinetic energy in the latter, the NB effects in both processes have similar change rules with similar temperature change rules. If the specific internal energy is the same, the NB effects in both processes are also quantitatively consistent. This finding provides a basis for the improvement of the nonequilibrium model considering the NB effects.

Piezoelectric Harvesting of Fluid Kinetic Energy Based on Flow-Induced Oscillation

Flow-induced oscillations widely exist in pipelines, fluid machinery, aerospace, and large-span flexible engineering structures. An inherent energy conversion mechanism can be developed for fluid kinetic energy utilization or acoustic energy harvesting. Fluid-resonant acoustic oscillation is featured by stability, easy operation, and a simple mechanical structure. Acoustic oscillation has high intensity and a mono-frequency, which is beneficial for energy harvesting. A simple cavity with appropriate structural dimensions that can induce fluid-resonant oscillations is set and combined with piezoelectric technology to generate electric power. The energy conversion mechanism is studied numerically and experimentally. The effects of flow velocity on the acoustic frequency, the pressure amplitude, and the output voltage of piezoelectric transducer are analyzed. A stable standing wave acoustic field can be generated in the cavity in a certain range of flow velocity. The results show that the higher intensity acoustic field occurs in the first acoustic mode and the first hydraulic mode and can be obtained in the range of flow velocity 27.1–51.1 m/s when the cavity length is 190 mm. A standing wave acoustic field occurs with a frequency of 490 Hz and a maximum pressure amplitude of 15.34 kPa. The open circuit output voltage can reach 0.286 V using a preliminary transducer. The device designed based on this method has a simple structure and no moving parts. It can harvest the fluid kinetic energy that widely exists in pipelines, engineering facilities, air flow forming around transportation tools, and the natural environment. Its energy output can be provided for the self-powered supply system of low-power sensor nodes in wireless sensor networks.

Design and on-site implementation of an off-grid marine current powered hydrogen production system

In this work, an off-grid hydrogen production system powered by marine current energy was studied, which employed a horizontal axis marine current turbine (HAMCT) and a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolyzer fed with ultrapure water. The fluid kinetic energy of the marine current will be captured by the turbine and finally stored as hydrogen energy through the electrolysis reaction in the electrolyzer. It is important to fully understand the characteristics of the electrolyzer for the stable and efficient operation of the system. Here, a dynamic model of PEM electrolyzers was developed, which is based on the Hammerstein structure. The particle swarm optimization (PSO) method and the least squares method were used to fit the static part and the dynamic part of the model, respectively. The experimental validation shows enough precision for engineering applications and the ability to characterize the transient behavior of the electrolyzer. Faraday’s efficiency of the stack was modeled using an empirical formula. The simulation of the proposed system was then carried out using the measured current velocity data as input. The results demonstrate that the system achieved the designed operating performance with the power coefficient of 0.42 and the estimated average energy conversion efficiency from marine current-to-hydrogen of 16.4%. Then, the sea trial was conducted in Zhoushan Archipelago. The power coefficient and the average energy conversion efficiency were found to be 0.35 and 11.9% respectively, with a decrease compared to the simulated results, which was attributed to the idealization of the simulation model and the degradation of the PEM electrolyzer. The performance degradation of the PEM electrolyzer throughout experiments and its effects were discussed. The principle and feasibility of the marine current-hydrogen system were successfully demonstrated.

Vortex and its implication on separation performance in an electro-swirling coupling device

ABSTRACT An electro-swirling coupling device coupled with electric field and centrifugation can achieve demulsification and dewatering of emulsion efficiently and economically. But, the vortex structure and its implication on separation performance under the coupling condition are unclear. Accordingly, a vortex analysis for the coupling separator was conducted numerically, and the effect of eccentricity on the efficiency was investigated. The results show that the iso-vortex surface is twisted and fluctuates. And there is a vibrational radial deviation between the vortex core and central axis, and increasing inlet velocity and voltage amplitude can increase the radial deviation of the vortex at the z-coordinate range from 250 to 550 mm. Furthermore, the underlying reason for the increase in vortex eccentricity is different where the electric coalescence is for the increase in voltage amplitude and the fluid kinetic energy is for the increase in inlet velocity. Moreover, the separation efficiency increases with the increase in vortex eccentricity at the case that the coalescence is dominant, but the separation efficiency gradually decreases with the increase in breakage rate and the droplet breakup is dominant.